Reds To March On?

While Manchester United's position at the top of the table will not change in March, the margin by which the Reds lead Manchester City could well be altered with three league matches apiece to be played by the title-race rivals.

Sir Alex Ferguson's men will go into the new month with a 12-point lead after City's 2-0 win over Chelsea on Sunday afternoon. Here we look at who the Reds and Blues will face during March - with a reminder of last season's corresponding results.

United v Norwich City – Saturday 2 March, 15:00 GMT
Pundits will expect the Reds to go 15 points clear again but while this fixture produced a straightforward home victory last term (2-0), the Canaries’ shock 1-0 win when the sides last met at Carrow Road should ensure there’s no complacency in Sir Alex’s squad.

Aston Villa v Manchester City – Monday 4 March, 20:00 GMT
The United players will no doubt be glued to their hotel TV screens on the eve of the Real Madrid second-leg match at Old Trafford, tuning into the live Sky coverage to see if City slip up. Roberto Mancini’s men dropped points in their last two away games – at QPR and Southampton – but they won 1-0 at Villa Park in 2011/12 thanks to a Joleon Lescott goal.

Postponed – West Ham v United, Man City v Wigan
The title rivals’ involvement in the FA Cup quarter-finals means new dates will have to be found for the league games originally scheduled for Saturday 9 March.

Everton v Manchester City – Saturday 16 March, 12:45 GMT
The timing of this game enables the Blues to reduce the Reds’ lead, at least for a couple of hours. But to do that, they’ll have to do better than last season when Darron Gibson’s first goal for the Toffees – two weeks after his move from United – condemned City to a defeat.

United v Reading – Saturday 16 March, 17:30 GMT
The Reds did not face the Royals last season, but United’s 2-1 victory in the FA Cup last week suggests the tea-time TV audience will witness another tight game at Old Trafford.

Sunderland v United – Saturday 30 March, 12:45 GMT
Following the international break, Sir Alex’s side will look to leap further ahead at lunch-time and exorcise the ghost of 13 May 2012 when the Reds’ 1-0 win at the Stadium of Light, courtesy of Wayne Rooney’s first-half strike, was rendered meaningless by injury-time events at the Etihad Stadium.

Manchester City v Newcastle United – Saturday 30 March, 15:00 GMT
Part two of Easter Saturday’s Manchester vs North-East double header should result in a home win if the Magpies’ miserable record against the Blues is any guide. City have won all of the last six meetings, home and away.

Next up... Norwich

In March, United will play Norwich City, Reading (both home) and Sunderland (away), while Man City face Aston Villa, Everton (both away) and Newcastle (home).